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I need help from imuran takers

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/24/2020 8:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi so I started taking 50 mg azathioprine mid Jan and it didn’t do much so a couple of weeks ago the doc upped it to 75 mg but what I did notice is that I have had the worst respiratory infection of my life. I started coughing in May maybe and got a dose of antibiotics and it got better but didn’t fully go away but I never went back bc I thought it would just get better bc that’s usually what happens after antibiotics but things progressively got worse so I went back 3 weeks ago and they gave me another dose of antibiotics which did nothing so Tuesday things got so bad I couldn’t breathe and was wheezing I went to the ER and they gave me prednisone and a 3rd type of antibiotics and I’m still wheezing even after 3 days on prednisone. This has never happened to me before so I decided to stop imuran. Has this ever happened to anyone? Does imuran have a higher instance of respiratory infections?
Posted 7/24/2020 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
I’ve never taken it so can’t say but did they give you a COVID test? I ask because a fried just tested positive and all he really had as symptoms was a slight cough and sniffles.
Posted 7/24/2020 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
I was on Imuran with Remicade & Humira for several years & never had a problem. If you will look at Drugs.com you will find some of your symptoms listed, these meds affect us all differently sometimes. I urge you to contact your gi ASAP since you have stopped, he/she needs to be made aware of what is going on.

Take care.
Posted 7/24/2020 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
My first thought was also that it sounds like covid19 but I'd be amazed if they didn't test for that..
Posted 7/24/2020 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
Got tested for covid twice - was negative
Posted 7/24/2020 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
I take 100mg of Imuran a day and since taking it I haven't had a single cold. It does lower our immune response, which is why it works for those of us with overactive immune systems. So it could be the reason you have a lingering cold. Have you been tested for allergies? That could also be what is happening. Have you reached out to your GI or your PCP with these questions?
As far as your negative COVID tests are concerned, my sister in law had it and it took 3 tests before she got a positive result. She is a physician working in a hospital and was only pulled off duty when she passed out at work. If your symptoms persist, I would ask to be tested again.
Posted 7/24/2020 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I just got tested 2 days ago and they also did a chest X-rays and I have pneumonia actually it started off as bronchitis then the antibiotics I took didn’t do the trick so it progressed for about 4-5 months. So I got extremely sick a couple of days ago and that’s when they did a repeat chest X-ray and retested for covid (hence confirmed my pneumonia diagnosis). I just never gotten this sick before hence why I’m asking if this has happened to anyone. Thank you everyone for your feedback
Posted 7/27/2020 12:57 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on 100mg/day (I'm 180 pounds) for the last 10+ years and for the last 5 or so years I get one bad infection per year that I can't seem to shake off without a doctor's care (antibiotics or something else.) But it's kept me out of flares for 6+ years so I stick with it.

I don't think these infections have been respiratory but it's certainly possible your infection is azathioprine-related.
Posted 7/28/2020 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
Yes I definitely think it’s from the azathioprine. I only started it 6 months ago and got an infection one month in, not sure if I can continue being on it. I’m glad it has helped so many people though!
Posted 7/28/2020 6:00 AM (GMT 0)
I had Pneumonia too after I started Imuran, and kept getting urinary tract infection and yeast infection.
Posted 7/29/2020 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Thiopurines like imuran and biologics like remicade increase our odds of infections including bronchitis. I've never had them during my 8 years in those meds, however, some do suffer from regular, chronic infections on them. It's possible and rare.

How's your recent bloodwork look? Are your WBCs normal? Just making sure your WBC isn't crazy low and thus making infections like that more likely.
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